Cantaloupe said its remote machine monitoring and reporting technology will allow USG to offer its 700-plus operator members a fully integrated platform that reduces the overall investment needed for telemetry, cashless and advanced vending management systems. USG members now benefit from a special "buy one, get one free" offer on Seed devices for companies committing to full telemetry and cashless rollouts.

Cantaloupe Systems reportedly has more than 30,000 machines online with USG's installed base and said it plans to double that number by the end of 2012.

"USG is committed to supporting its members that are transitioning to a business model built on telemetry and cashless vending," said USG vice-president Chris Stave. "The use of telemetry devices, integrated with analytic software and cashless processing, provides vending operators the tools to gain great efficiencies in their businesses and transitions them to a more retail-oriented business model."

Warehouse personnel use this information to load orders for each machine, providing drivers with more time to focus on servicing their routes.

The platform also gives vending operators tools to reconcile daily cash collection and capture spoilage and inventory variances. SeedSync, a customizable tool that is part of Seed, integrates all collected data with existing vending management or other software packages. Seed technology is currently installed in more than 70,000 vending machines.

USA Technologies (Malvern, PA) struck a similar agreement with USG in December as a preferred telemetry and cashless vending provider to the buying group. | SEE STORY